Level wind bait casting reel



March 23, 1954 L, A VERBEKE 2,673,043

LEVEL WIND BAIT CASTING REEL Filed Sept. 30, 1949 1N VEN TOR.

Patented Mar. 23, 1954 `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEVEL WIND BAIT CASTING REEL Lucien A. Verbeke, Maywood, Calif. Application September 30, 1949, Serial N o. 118,797

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a fishermans casting reel and more particularly to a free spool device for use in connection with a reel having a level windthereon.

An object of the invention is to provide a reel wherein the operating handle can be disconnected from the spool and the level wind unit, the line guide of the level wind unit can be disconnected from its specific operating mechanism, and wherein the line guide is automatically reengaged with its operating mechanism when the handle is again coupled with the spool and the level wind unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reel structure wherein the angular disposition of the reel mounting bracket or member is such that the axis of the reel spool is canted in such a way that line being Wound upon the spool will lie properly against a single `line guide rod, the single rod being provided to permit movement of the line guide to one side of the reel so that a free cast can be made without interference from the line guide. p These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view with the operating handle shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the gear train and its control member in an alternate position;

Fig. 4 is a section taken approximately on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an `enlarged sectional detail taken approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4,'

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan View of the reel; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail taken approximately on the line I-'I of Fig. 5.

The reel shown generally in Fig. 1 includes a pair of end plates 6 and 'I connected by spacers 8 and 9 in the usual manner. Suitably connected to the spacers 8 at the bottom of the reel is a reel frame mounting in the form of a tongue I0 which is concavo-convex in cross-section to fit the contour of a rod handle on which the reel is to be mounted.

As shown in Fig. 4, the end plate I has a gear housing I|` connected thereto by means of small screws I2 which extend through the outer face of the housing II and into outwardly disposed pillars I 3 which are located on the outer face of the end plate 1.

Lying between the end plates 6 and 'I andwithin the cage formed by the spacers 8, is a spool i4 having enlarged ends I5 whose longitudinal axis extends between the end plates 6 and 1. A reel shaft I6 supports the spool ends I5. As shown in Fig. 4, one end of the shaft I6 is journaled in a bearing I1 which is pressed in the gear housing Il. The other end of the spool shaft I6 is suitably journaled in the end plate 6 in a manner well known in the art and considered unnecessary to illustrate here. h

Extending between and journaled in the end plates 6 and 'I is a screw shaft I8 and a reverse screw thread I9 cut therein. The shaft I8 constitutes a portion of the drive mechanism for the level wind unit.

A crank bearing 20, which supports a crankshaft 2| is mounted upon a circular lever plate 3|, extends through an oval aperture 3S in the side wall of the gear housing |I. Nut 22` is threaded on a portion of the bearing 2|] `to prevent said bearing 20, lever plate 3|, gears 2'I-28 and crank assembly 24-25 from slipping into gear housing II, and also keeps plate 3l in line with fulcrum bearing II.

The inner end of the shaft 2| extends approximately across the width of the gear housing I and has a pair of gears 21 and 28 mounted thereon for rotation therewith. h

The lever plate 3| has an outwardly extending handle portion 32 which passes through a slot 33 in the circumferential wall of the gear housing I. Approximately at the center of the lever plate 3| is an oval aperture 34 which relatively closely tsabout the reel shaft bearing I1. `The handle 32 passes through a leaf spring 32a and thin curved tongue 32h. The spring 32a places a frictional drag on the handle and the lever plate 3| to hold them in a set position. The tongue 32h closes the slot 33 and travels withthe handle 32 when it moves.

The bearing 2li which supports the crankshaft 2| is mounted upon the lever plate 3| and extends through the oval aperture 36 in the side wall of the gear housing Il.

The spool shaft I6 has a gear 3l mounted thereon for rotation therewith and normally meshed with the gear 2l on the crankshaft 2 I. v

The level wind shaft I8 has a gear 3B thereon which is normally meshed with the smaller gear 28 on the crankshaft 2|.

`When the lever handle 32 is shifted from the position of Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2, the crankshaft 2| will be shifted in the gear housing slot 36 and the crankshaft gears 2l and 28 will approximately simultaneously loecome disconnected from their respective cooperating gears 3I and 38 on the reel shaft I6 and the level wind shaft I8.

Slidably mounted on the level wind shaft I8 and more specifically along the reversely threaded portion thereof, is a block 39 having an aperture 40 therethrough to relatively closely iit the shaft I8. The lower portion of the block 33 is providedwi'th a projection lil throughfwhichfextends a pivot pin42. Mounted on the pivot pin is a lever 43 having an upward extension M against which an expansion spring dii is adapted to bear. rIhe spring 45 is located-in afsocketl 46 in the side of the block 39.

The other end of the lever at is forked,- asat' beveled side faceselfnwhich, in conjunction with parallel faces-tlm :of the bore EQ; limit movement of the plunger about its longitudinal axis to an angle only slightly greater than that of the helix angleof the reverse threads in the screw .39. This prevents the `plunger from crossing .the threads whenx it is retracted, and it insures seating in the threadswhen the screw is is rotated.

Extending upwardly from the block l39 is a smallrod 52 which-comprises a line guide element for the level wind unit. rIt should "ner noted thatlthe line ,guide rod-,52 is not in theforrn of the usual closed loop, but isasingle freer contact element against Whichthe fishingA line bears, and isffree of vany confinement except` a lateral pressure in-one direction only.

VV The.upper. end of the line guide rod lhas a crosshead 53 thereon and it is adapted to reciprocate inthe reel frame spacer-.Svwhich-is tubular in structure, and is provided withv a `lower elongated slot 54.

`In"F'igs. 3 and 4 `thereel is shown with the several.v gears meshedintheir normal operating position. When the reel. handle isrotated in.-a clockwise direction, the spool 4,55 will loe` rotated in a counter-Clockwise directionfby reason f the meshed gears'2'I and 37. At the same time the level wind shaft it will causethe level wind block 39 andthe structure carried .thereby vto reciprocate along the shaftA it and'from one end of the reel spool `to the other by reason ofthe reverse threading of saidA level wind shaft I8.

Whena cast ismadethe lever handle' 32 on the leverplate 3i is shifted in a counter-clockwise direction from the position of Fig. 3`to'that of Fig.' 2. The lever plate 'Siwili partially rotate about'afulcrum provided. by the reel shaft bearing I1 whichextends into the oval aperture 34 in the lever plate 3 I. This causes the crank Vshaft 2l to move with its supporting lever plate 3l Within the liinitsprovidedby the oval slot (itin the side wallof the gear' housing I I and also. causes gearsZI and 28 on 'the crankshaft to move out of "mesh with v'their respective complementary gears 31 and 38. As a result thespool' I4, I5- can rotate with a' free f action .and without the`` hindrance or drag ofgears'l 2l and 23.' the crankshaft 2 I,-crar'1k.l -arrnfd; and "crank handles 25"'Whe'n a cast is made. Furthermore, this free action of the spool eliminates the tendency to backlash since the spool is relieved of the inertia of gears 23 and 28 and the crank handle elements.

When the gears 21 and 23 are disconnected, as mentioned above, the level wind shaft I8 is similarly disconnected so that the level Wind mechanisin will not function. This permits line to feed freely from the spool without hindrance from theline guide52.

As brought "out above, the line guide 52 can be moved to one end of the level wind shaft I8 by `actuating the lever a3 which is connected to the s screwfollower plunger 43, thereby withdrawing the follower' or plunger from the threads I9 and perniitting the block 39 and its supporting structure` to .be movedalong the level wind shaft without rotating the shaft. When the gearing is in `itsdisc'onnected position for casting, the level wind mechanism will not move and the line guide 52 will remain at the end ofthe shaft tol-which it 'has been shifted while the cast is made.

When the Ilever handle 32is returnedlto the position of Fig. 3 preparatory to reeling. line uponv the spool, the gearswill allfhecome'meshed. Rotation of the handle 24,. 2a will rotate the spool and also the levelwind shaft i8. K Aty the beginning of the: rotation of the shaftIf'l, if the thread follower or plungerl 49 is resting upon a rand between portions of thelthread valleys I3, the follower will be pressedbythe spring-45 into one of the` thread portions 4upon partial rotation of said shaft is and the level wind will immediateiy begintofunction. g y

.Y InFig. 6 thetongue-lilre bracket IQ whichpermits securing of thereel toa rod,` isshowndisposed ata slight angle toa plane extending transversely of 'the spool shaft Inand normal thereto, This, of course.disposesthereelspool at an angle to the longitudinalaxis ofalro'd upon which it is mounted andthis biasingf the spool will cause fthe line to maintainpontaot with the side ofthe line guide rodZ-regardl'ess of the directional movement of thellineg'uide las' it reciprocatesin front ofthe spool. vNot Yonly does' this permit freer movement of the linerl'ative to the gui'de'but it also enableslthefline guidato be moved to apositioi at one' side of the spool as describe-d above inthe castingposition of the level wind assembly.

It will, of 'coursejbe `understood that various changes can bemade in the form, 'detailaarrangement. and proportions of the various` parts without departing'from the spirit ofthe invention.

I claim:

l. Ina casting reel, a frame having a rotary spool carried thereby, a reversely threadedscrew rotatably mounted on said frame -withdts rotational axis substantially parallellto that ofY said spool, a linev guide slidably mounted on saidfscrew for longitudinal -rnovement relative thereto, a follower movablycarriedby said guide andengageable with'said screw', a lever pivotally' mountedon said guide and operatively engagea'ble with. said follower to effect movementftheref into and out ofv engagement' with said screw, and spring means on said guide engageable with said lever for normally 'urging the same into operative engagement with said screw.

'2. In a eastingreel, a frame'having a..spool rotatably carried thereby, a level wind deviceon said" frame and? including a single' line. guide rod slidably associated with saidframelfor: rectilinear recprocation adjacent to and lengthwise of the spool, and a reel frame mounting member having its longitudinal axis disposed at an acute angle to a plane intersecting the spool and mounting member and lying normal to the longitudinal axis of the spool whereby when the reel is mounted on a rod, the spool is disposed at an acute angle relative thereto and the line being Wound upon the reel is maintained in contact with the line guide rod regardless of the directional movement of the line guide rod as it reciprocates relative to tho spool.

3. In a casting reel, a frame having a plurality of tubular spacers and a spool rotatably carried thereby, a level Wind device on said frame and including a single line guide rod, one end of said rod having a cross-head xedly secured thereto, one of the tubular spacers of the frame being longitudinally slotted so as to slidably receive the cross-head for longitudinal guiding movement, and a reel frame mounting member having its longitudinal axis disposed at an acute angle to a plane intersecting the spool and mounting member and lying normal to the longitudinal axis of the spool whereby when the reel is mounted on a rod, it is disposed at an acute angle relative thereto and the line being wound upon the reel is maintained in contact with the line guide rod regardless of the directional movement of the line guide as it reciprocates relative to the spool.

LUCIEN A. VERBEKE.

lteferences Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 477,754 Greason June 28, 1892 1,038,203 Ricketts Sept. 10, 1912 1,282,990 Upton et a1 Oct. 29, 1918 1,448,947 Smith Mar. 20, 1923 1,719,246 Smith July 2, 1929 1,875,467 Knoerzer et a1 Sept. 6, 1932 1,964,965 Smelser July 3, 1934 2,149,413 Balz et al Mar. 7, 1939 2,179,413 Kolosso Nov. 7, 1939 2,179,972 Adams Nov. 14, 1939 2,321,650 Burdick June 15, 1943 2,321,820 Kachel June 15, 1943 2,352,138 Torrence June 20, 1944 2,458,298 Polevoy Jan. 4, 1949 2,610,002 Surber Sept. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 828,000 France Feb. 2, 1938 671,216 Germany Feb. 2, 1939 

